Skift Take

Hotels hoped for packed hotels with high room rates, but ample inventory, fewer than anticipated guests, and the popularity of non-traditional lodging options are prompting hotels to lower rates to attract guests before the big day.

— Samantha Shankman

For football fans looking to experience at least one Super Bowl in person, New York City is offering visitors the most bang for the buck.

The average NYC room rate is currently $250 per night, only 55 percent more than a normal weekend, according to data provided by Priceline.com. These last-minute rates are significantly lower than those available as little as three weeks ago when rates were up 90 percent.

But both can be considered a bargain in comparison to past Super Bowls when rates rose 150 percent in New Orleans and 250 percent in Indianapolis.

Much of the rate increase depends on the average room rate throughout the year and room availability.

The combined 115,000 rooms located in New York and New Jersey are almost three times the 40,000 rooms available last year in New Orleans.

Rates change daily as supply and demand fluctuates, but as of Thursday morning, Priceline reports that New York City rates were as follows:

Hotel in NYC

Price Range

1-Star

$62 – $350

2-Star

$98 – $1,109

3-Star

$118 – $989

4-Star

$143 – $799

5-Star

$499 – $3,395

Visitors looking for savings won’t find much in New Jersey where the average room rate is also $250 per night. This is an increase of about 125 percent for the region.

Below are New Jersey rates as of Thursday morning:

Hotel in NJ

Price Range

1-Star

$84 – $204

2-Star

$79 – $359

3-Star

$94 – $499

4-Star

$399

Surrounding Cities Get a Booking Bump

The cities located closest to New York City are also experiencing a bump in bookings for the Super Bowl weekend. Compared to the same weekend last year, bookings are up 100 percent in Atlantic City, 38 percent in D.C., and 35 percent in Baltimore.